U2 Release 'The Greatest Show on Earth' and Announce 2027 World Tour

By Marcus Bennett

U2 have released the new single "The Greatest Show on Earth" and announced a world tour of the same name, opening in Mexico City in February 2027. The song is the latest preview of the band's upcoming album, Carnaval de Luz, due out November 13.

Bono called the track his favorite on the record. "It's maybe our greatest song in a very long time," Bono told Rolling Stone. "That was a reason to stay in the band."

The single arrived with a video directed by longtime collaborator Anton Corbijn, shot in the California desert. The visual stars the band in what the group describes as "a religious cult where women do all the heavy lifting," and it plays up the themes of Bono's lyrics.

"If this is love, we make cathedrals of our hurt / People digging their dreams out of the dirt," he sings. "We were once the greatest show on earth."

What does the tour change for fans?

The announcement confirms U2's first full world run under this banner. The Greatest Show On Earth World Tour kicks off in February 2027 in Mexico City, followed by dates in São Paulo and Buenos Aires. North American and European dates are forthcoming, according to the band's announcement.

The band addressed both the song and the tour in a statement. "'The Greatest Show on Earth'? Now that's a throwdown. It's a dare, to ourselves as much as anyone, to try and have the best night of anybody's life," U2 said. "A bit of showman, a bit of shaman, a riot of color, unreasonable guitar, bass and drums, and tunes you can hold onto. Because if people are gonna show up, we certainly are."

An album fifty years in the making

"The Greatest Show on Earth" follows earlier singles "Silencio" and "Street of Dreams" from Carnaval de Luz. Bassist Adam Clayton framed the album as a milestone. "It's an extraordinary collection of songs," Clayton told Rolling Stone, "and it's the culmination of the work that everyone has been doing for 50 years."

Fans will not wait long for the record. The album lands November 13, and the first tour stops follow barely three months later, giving the new material a fast route from studio to stadium.